An approach to the surveying of radiation environments for radiation protection purposes

Many of the present conceptual difficulties would be eliminated if surveys were made in terms of quantity 'dose equivalent' ceiling' defined as the sum of the peak dose equivalents generated by all the components of the field if each were incident normally to the front face of an anthropomorphic phantom. 'Dose equivalent ceiling' is close to the quantity measured by existing instruments, is both additive and measurable, and can be rigorously related to primary radiation field quanties. It is always greater than peak dose equivalent in the body and would be used to define an exposure period during which a given dose equivalent could not be exceeded. The dose to specific parts of the person's body would then be estimated by personal dosimetry. Fields of low penetrating radiation could continue to be surveyed in terms of dose to specific superficial organs. Dose equivalent ceiling, which corresponds to the instrumental measurement, exceeds dose equivalent index, an indication of peak dose equivalent in the body, by a factor which can be as large as six. (author)